Timberwolves ready for MCFL rival Racine

• Coach Mike Piasecki has guided the Southern Michigan Timberwolves to a 10-3 record so far this season – the team's highest victory total in 12 years.

Strange things happened both times the Southern Michigan Timberwolves and Racine Raiders met this season.

Racine completed only three passes but all went for long touchdowns in a 27-9 T-Wolves' loss to the Raiders last month in Wisconsin.

The teams met again three weeks ago in Monroe. This time Southern Michigan's defense and special teams scored all the points in a 32-16 victory.

Now the rivals will meet for a third time this season. The T-Wolves will host Racine in an Elite Mid-Continental Football League playoff opener at 7:25 p.m. Saturday at Navarre Field.

"The third time's the charm," said defensive back Mark Carter who leads the team with more than 60 tackles. "I'm very confident in us if everybody comes out and plays as a unit ready to get the job done."

Both teams finished 7-3 in league action, but the T-Wolves are the fourth seed and Racine fifth, giving Southern Michigan the home field. Southern Michigan is 10-3 and the Raiders 8-3 overall.

First-year head coach Mike Piasecki has guided the Timberwolves to their highest victory total in 12 years.

"You never want to play a team a third time, but that's how it worked out," he said. "Being at home helps. It's tough to get off the bus and play after a six-hour ride. On the other hand, we know Racine will be ready and we haven't played in three weeks."

Defensive end Josh Hunt should be available after missing all season due to a work conflict. With the three-week layoff, Piasecki gave his team a week off to heal up some injuries, then had them practice twice weekly the past two weeks.

Southern Michigan's season has been a strange one. The defensive unit is considered one of the best in the country and has scored nearly one-third of the team's touchdowns. The offense has frequently sputtered. Carter plays mostly defense and has four touchdowns of his own.

"We've (the defense) been playing together longer and that makes a difference," he said. "When we played the (Michigan) Gators the second time, the offense came together and made the big plays. I think we've gotten better as a team. The offense will be better next year because they'll have more experience together."

Carter is in his fourth season with the T-Wolves after playing at Romulus High School and Eastern Michigan University. He returned an interception for a touchdown when Romulus beat Gibraltar Carlson 43-8 in the 1999 MHSAA Division 3 state playoffs. This season Carter has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

"Our defense is the best since I've been here," he said. "We opened the season with five shutouts and that's the most for me here. Offensively, I think we need to pick it up a little bit. Overall, this is as good as the team we had two years ago when we won that (playoff) game in the mud."

Piasecki said he hears good things about the team's record, but he set the bar higher than that.

"I hear about how it's the most games we've won in 12 years, but we have not played real well," he said. "We want to get better for next season. For me, there needs to be a higher standard for a team representing Monroe County."

Racine was without its starting quarterback and kicker for its last meeting with the Timberwolves.

The winner of Saturday's game will play at the Michigan Gators Sept. 17 in the second round of the playoffs. The Detroit Seminoles and Detroit Ravens are meeting in Saturday's other Western Conference playoff game with the winnner to play next weekend at the Columbus Fire. Michigan and Columbus received first-round byes as the top two seeds.

Four playoff wins are necessary to win the championship in the new EMCFL.

"I really think we can win it all because what's in front of us (Racine and Michigan) are two teams that we beat the last time we played them," Carter said. "We know that it just takes a great effort for us to win."

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